Frequently purchased together

The easiest way to describe the Craft Men's Elite Body Control Bib Shorts is the following: this is better than what they give their pro riders. The best fabrics, the most ergonomic cut, their top of the line chamois, all in one place. With one big addition. All the leg panels have been treated with Coldblack.

Coldblack is a permanent finish that is applied to textiles to keep them cooler when under direct sunlight by reflecting the sun's infrared rays rather than absorbing them. The difference means that these black shorts will require as little cooling as beige shorts, and you don't suffer the ignominy of wearing beige cycling shorts.

The treatment is the cherry on top of a feature-packed set of bibs. The bottoms are built with lots of panels and joined by flatlock stitching to perfectly wrap the body and support the muscles as your legs power the pedals. Two fabrics are used. C391 is a compressive spandex that mixes Xtra Life Elastane with polyamide to squeeze the legs for reduced vibration and longer pedaling strength. The second fabric is C509, a warp-knitted spandex that is not only compressive, but also, thanks to the visible honeycomb weave, more aerodynamic than standard-issue stretch fabrics.

The leg openings have a band of C509 that features a silicone print on the inside rather than a conventional gripper for greater comfort while still keeping the legs cemented in place.

The chamois is Craft's Elite, a gender-specific multi-density stretch pad that utilizes four different technologies. There's high-density foam with exploded air bubbles in the middle of the sandwich for extra support, three different spots where gel in injected, three different sizes (yes, size-specific pads), and it's all melted together to form a single molded object before it is sewn into the shorts. You'll only notice that you don't notice.

The Craft Men's Elite Body Control Bib Shorts come in Black, with different color accents. The inseam is 24.5cm long. Sizes run from XSmall to XXLarge.

Here's what others have to say...

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Good, But Not Great (for me)

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

Got these as a gift from a company that we do a lot of work with. I ride 3000-4000 miles per year, and prefer long rides of 60-150 miles, often with local friends. I'm 5'10" and 160#. Well, truth be told, I range from 156-162# depending on whether or not we've just had 'family pizza night'...

I have these in a Large. The fit is fine, but there are a couple of spots on the inside of the thigh right at the groin joint where I get persistent hot spots. I figured it was just a new pair of shorts and they (and my body) would adjust. But neither has. As a result, as much as I like these (great temp control, good feel, leg grippers are great, etc.) I only use them now on 40-60 mile rides.

Favorite pair of bibs that I've owned, for what it's worth are some $140 Garneau Neo Power - less expensive, but that's my go-to pair for long rides.

Comment on Mike Dienhart's review »

Great Shorts, Not a Perfect Fit for Me

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

What I love about these bib shorts are the fabric and feel. It is lightweight and thin but not see-thru. The seams are comfortable and the chamois is thick and holds up for all day jaunts. What has been a little off for me with Craft shorts is the fit. I'm 5'7" and 140lbs. I tend to wear a Medium for most things. However, the Medium in these bib shorts as well as the non-bib version of these shorts (which I own and wear as well) is too large for me. The chamois in the Medium is too large and the shorts bunch up on me. So I've gone with Small in both versions. While the bunching problem went away, the chamois feels a bit on the small size and when spending more than a few hours in the saddle, the chamois tends to shift and not sit completely under me. Its not a deal-breaker for me but the fit is not as perfect as I would like and hope. Still, they are great shorts but not perfect for me.

Comment on mike henasey's review »

Fantastic, one of the best bibs made!!

Familiarity:
I gave it as a gift but have feedback to share

These bib shorts are in a league only on par with the likes of the Assos Mille s5, Rapha Pro, Castelli Free Air, Giordana Forma Red Carbon! The chamois is excellent, the materials are of the finest quality, and the fit is like no other!! These also are amazingly light weight and very breathable. They are very Euro fitted though so I recommend sizing up one size from your regular even in Castelli!